It’s Coyote ugly in big loss to Bullard
Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune Madera’s Taylor Brooks, left, and Haley Perez, right, congratulates Valerie Ornelas (14) after her fourth home run of the season in Tuesday’s loss to the Knights.
The Madera Coyotes softball team hoped to have found its footing after four straight victories in the County/Metro Athletic Conference before facing the Bullard-Fresno Knights at Zimmerman Field.
The Coyotes committed six errors and allowed nine unearned runs in a 16-2 loss to the Knights Tuesday. The Knights defeated the Coyotes 10-0 in the first round of County/Metro Athletic Conference play.
This season, the Coyotes have allowed 4.3 runs per game. However, without the two Bullard games, the average drops to 3.5 runs per game.
However, the loss drops the Coyotes to 4-3 in the CMAC and in third place. They played 0-7 San Joaquin Memorial-Fresno on Friday and close the season at Edison-Fresno on Tuesday and at home against Madera South on Thursday.
The Coyotes, fresh off a 13-9, nine inning win over Sanger, were looking to drop Bullard into a three-way tie for first place in the CMAC.
Unfortunately, the game was over before it really started.
Bullard scored five runs in the first inning, keyed by two errors and a hit batter, which led to four unearned runs.
The Knights pushed over another run in the second and scored five more in the third, helped by three errors and five more unearned runs.
Bullard increased its lead in the fourth with a double, walk and back-to-back singles. Arianna Castillo hit a three run third inning to highlight a four-run fifth inning.
Madera only received production in two innings. Valerie Ornelas led off the second inning with a home run over the right-centerfield fence, her fourth of the season.
In the fourth, Tayah Hernandez led off with a single and went to second on an Ornelas single to left. Both runners moved up 60 feet on a flyout to right from Sofia Perez.
After a flyout, Hollee Brown lined a single to left field to drive in Hernandez for Madera’s second run of the game.
